Pomfret, John, an English clergyman, more noted as a poet than as a divine, was the son of a clergyman, who held at the time of John's birth the rectory of Luton, in Bedfordshire. He was born about 1667, and was educated at a grammar school in the country, and thence sent to Cambridge, but to what college is un- certain. He devoted himself especially to the study of polite literature, wrote most of his poetical pieces, and took both the degrees in arts. After that he took holy orders, and was presented to the living of Maiden, in Bedfordshire. About 1703 he went to London for in- stitution to a larger and very considerable living; but was stopped some time by Compton, then bishop of London, on account of these four lines of his poem en- titled The Choice:
"And as I near appronch'd the verge of life, Some kind relation (for I'd have no wife) Should take upon him all my worldly care, While I did for a better state prepare." The parenthesis in these lines was so maliciously rep- resented that the good bishop was made to believe from it that Pomfret preferred a mistress to a wife ; though no such meaning can be deduced, unless it be asserted that an unmarried clergyman cannot live without a mistress. But the bishop was soon convinced that this representation was nothing more than the effect of mal- ice, as Pomfret at that time was actually married. The opposition, however, which his slanderers had given him was not without effect; for, being by this obliged to stay in London longer than he intended, he caught the small-pox, and died of it in 1702. " The Choice" says Dr. Johnson, " exhibits a system of life adapted to common notions, and equal to common expectations; such a state as affords plenty and tranquillity, without exclusion of intellectual pleasures. Perhaps no com- position in our language has been oftener perused than Pomfret's Choice. In his other poems there is an easy volubility ; the pleasure of smooth metre is afforded to the ear, and the mind is not oppressed with ponder- ous or entangled with intricate sentiment. He pleases many, and he who pleases many must have merit." A volume of his poems was published by himself in 1699, with a very modest and sensible preface. Two pieces of his were published after his death by his friend Phi- lalethes; one entitled Reason, and written in 1700, when the disputes about the Trinity ran high ; the other. Dies Novissima, or The last Epiphany, a Pindaric ode. His versification is not unmusical, but there is not the force in his writings which is necessary to constitute a poet. A dissenting teacher of his name, who published some rhymes upon spiritual subjects, occasioned fanaticism
POMIS
388
POMPA
to be imputed to him; bat his friend I'liilalcthes has justly cleared him from this. Pomfrel had a very strong mixture of devotion, bul no fanaticism. See Allibone, Diet, of Brit, and Amer. A nth. b. \.: Gen. Biog. Diet. s. v.
Pomis, Christian de, a converted Portuguese Jew. nourished in the 17th century. In Hi(j8 he was baptized at Nuremberg, and in 1669 lie was made teach- er of the Hebrew and Talmudic language at the Uni- versity of Altorf. He wrote Comparatio agni Paschalis \'*t. Test. cum agno Paschalis Novi Test, oratiom ll>- brcea memoriter proposka, in Hebrew, with a Latin transL (Altorf, 1669). See Cod. Senat, Lips. xix. 1 ; Delitzsch, Wissenschafl u. Kunst d. Judenthums (Grim- ma, I838),p.302; Jocher, Gelehrten-Lex. >. \ . i B. P.)
Pomis, David de, a Jewish savant of note, was bom in 1525 at Spoleto, of the celebrated family rail- ed in Hebrew :"""". which, like the families *" C"~":n and D^lSSil, traced their origin to thost J< ws who wire led iui" captivity after the doinirti.ni of Je- rusalem by Titus and Vespasian. Hi- father gave him his tirst instruction, initiating him in all the cycle of Bib- lical and Talmudic lore in Meoenia. Alter his lather's death De Pomis studied medicine, and greatly distin- guished himself in thai department. In 1545 he wenl to Perugia, where he remained till 1552, prosecuting his studies in medicine, philosophy, and philology. He then entered into official service at Maghaus in Sabio- netta till 1555; became physician to count Nicolo I'r- Bino (1555 1560), and to prince Sforza (1560 1563); went to Rome, and then to Venice, h here he died. Of De Pomis we have the following works : "111 ~'2'J. i.e. Tin Offspring of David, a Hebrew and Talmudic Lex- icon in Hebrew, Latin, and Italian (Yen. 1587), dedi- cated to Sixtus V: P?np,an Italian commentary on Ecclesiastes i ibid. 1571) : — Discorso a Vhumana misera, etc., being a supplement to the commentary on Ec- clesiastes (ibid. 1572 : a com men tan on Job and a commentary on Daniel, which are still in MS. See Filrst, Bibl. Jud. iii. Ill sq.; Basnage, Hist, des Juifs (Engl, transl. by Taylor), p. 724; Kitto, Cyclop, s. v.; Jahrbuch der Gesch. d. Juden, ii. 359; De Rossi, Dizio- nario slorico degli Autori Ebrei (Germ. transL by Ham- p. 266 sq.; Acosta, Israel and the Gentiles, p. 487; Etheridge, Hebrew Literature, p. 154. (B. P.
Pommel [an old English term, derived from the French pomme, an apple, and signifying anything round, but now applied only to a pari of a Baddle ] i nz;.. gul- luh. a globular or round thing, a bowl, which it signifies in Eccles. \ii. 6; Zech. iv, 3), the ball or round orna- ment on the capital of a column (2 Chron. iv, 12, 13; "bowl," l Kings \ ii. ll. 12). See Con mn.